http://www.macnn.com/articles/08/01/31/aac.hierarchy.patents/
Patents: AAC audio, hierarchical menu items
updated 06:15 pm EST, Thu January 31, 2008
AAC, hierarchy patents
The US Patent and Trademark Office today published 11 of Apple's patent applications. Among the 11, a patent regarding AAC audio bit allocation, as well as one pertaining to hierarchical menus stand out. Apple has presented a concept for perceptual audio encoding, a bit allocation technique that is designed to reduce the size of a file by finding a perfect balance of quality versus compression. While Apple is developing the process to apply it to AAC, it could also be applied to MP3, AC-3, and WMA media formats.
Apple also patented a technique for nesting items hierarchically, which can be applied to pop up or drop down menus.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Mar 2002
That's where they went...
I guess Apple had to dumb down the dock and pull out the hierarchical menus until they got their patent... Just in time to PUT THEM BACK WHERE THEY BELONG in 10.5.2, hopefully REAL SOON.